Michael G. Miess

Research Scientists

Research Scientist

Location:

B4/L0 (seaside)

Social Profile:

Biography

Michael Miess joined the Sustainable Systems Lab at the Center for Desert Agriculture at KAUST in August 2023. He conducts innovative research in ecological macroeconomics & economic-biophysical modelling. His work is based on his experience in ecological macroeconomics, macroeconomic modelling, the transition to a zero-emission economy, and in sustainable, climate friendly financial systems.

Before, at various research institutions in Vienna, Michael was involved in national climate-related assessment reports, the construction and evaluation of Austrian environmental, climate and energy policy measures and scenarios, and the construction and use of national energy-economy-environment models.

Research Interests

Michael will be active in the construction and use of innovative economic-biophysical models to assist in designing a sustainable economy integrating human and natural capitals. This includes understanding of the drivers of and solutions for gender, education, wealth and income inequities.

Additionally, Michael will co-develop a novel theory for a post-growth “modern economics of human-mind-nature connection”. His goal is the inter- and transdisciplinary integration of economics with ecology, anthropology, psychology, physics, body-centred practices, and the perennial wisdom traditions to create a transdisciplinary economic theory for the good life for all within planetary boundaries.

Selected Publications

  • Gugele, B., Krutzler,T., Miess, M., Vogel, J. (2022). Pilot project: Integration of a climate module into the long-term budget forecast by the Austrian Ministry of Finance (Pilotprojekt: Integration eines Klimamoduls in die langfristige Budgetprognose). Study by the Environment Agency Austria commissioned by the Austrian Ministry of Finance (in German). https://www.umweltbundesamt.at/fileadmin/site/publikationen/rep0837.pdf
  • Poledna, S., Rovenskaya, E., Crespo Cuaresma, J., Kaniovski, S., Miess, M., (2020). Recovery of the Austrian economy following the COVID-19 crisis can take up to three years. IIASA Policy Brief #26, https://iiasa.ac.at/web/home/resources/publications/IIASAPolicyBriefs/pb26.pdf
  • Poledna, S., Hochrainer-Stigler, S., Miess, M., Klimek, K., Schmelzer, S., Shchekinova, E., Rovenskaya, E., Linnerooth-Bayer, J., Dieckmann, U., Pflug, G., Thurner, S. (2018). When does a disaster become a systemic event? Estimating indirect economic losses from natural disasters. Working paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1801.09740.pdf
  • Miess, M. and Schmelzer, S. (2016b). Extension of the Empirical Stock-Flow Consistent (SFC) Model for Austria. Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 163, Austrian Chamber of Labour, see https://emedien.arbeiterkammer.at/viewer/resolver?urn=urn:nbn:at:at-akw:g-1522902
  • Miess, M., Schmelzer, S (2016a). A Stock-flow consistent model of financialisation and shadow banking: Financial fragility in a modern capitalist economy. Working Paper. See http://www.boeckler.de/pdf/v_2015_10_23_miess.pdf

Education

  • PhD, Economics, Institute for Macroeconomics and Institute for Ecological Economics, Departments for Economics and Socio-Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria, 2019.
  • Master, Economics, Department for Economics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, 2012

Professional Profile

  • Since 03/2021: Senior Ecological Macroeconomist and Macroeconomic Modeller and Team Leader, Team Environmental Economics, Environment Agency Austria (EAA, Umweltbundesamt), Vienna, Austria.
  • 09/2018 - 02/2021: Post-doctoral research associate in ecological economics and macroeconomic modelling, Institute for Ecological Economics, Department for Socio-Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien), Vienna, Austria.
  • 09/2017 -08/2018: Researcher in complexity economics and agent-based modelling, Complexity Science Hub (CSH) Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
  • 10/2016 - 07/2017: Researcher for agent-based big-data modeling of for national economics, Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.
  • 07/2008 - 09/2016: Researcher in macroeconomic modelling, Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Vienna, Austria.

Awards

  • 1st Prize for “Economic Forecasting with an Agent-Based Model” at the Research Paper Competition “Complexity in Macroeconomics”.

KAUST Affiliations

  • Professor Yoshihide Wada's group
  • KAUST Center for Desert Agriculture
  • BESE
  • KAUST Climate and Livability Initiative